Nothing new under the sun...
It seems I read a lot about "transparency" within the new church paradigm that is emerging. One can read all about Craig Groeschel's shortcomings in his tell-all book, Confessions of a Pastor: Adventures in Dropping the Pose and Getting Real with God. Things like "I can't stand a lot of Christians" and "I hate prayer meetings". You know, stuff you hope your pastor would feel comfortable sharing with you.Somewhere we dropped the ball.
We sold out to humanism, stopped preaching the law, and bound and gagged the Holy Spirit in the name of self-esteem. Not that God isn't stronger than Satan's schemes. But that's not the point I hope to make here.
Somewhere along the line we stopped preaching holiness and sanctification. Granted, I grew up in the Nazarene Church, and was exposed to older Nazarenes who genuinely loved the Lord and who understood what those terms meant, their Biblical basis, and were actually walking, breathing examples (the Nazarene motto was "Holiness Unto the Lord"). But I wasn't perfect myself.
However, now that the law of God has become clearer to me, I see how we've allowed gross sin to creep in and we've labeled it as the imperfection we will always be carrying until we leave this earth. Satan had it all figured out, didn't he? We wink at Christians who live like pagans, until these pastors fresh from seminary, the ink still wet on their diplomas, take up their own pastorates, and continue to live like pagans. Except now they can be "transparent" about their sin, and everyone fawns over their accessibility and relevance.
Everyone can heave a huge sigh of relief. None are regenerated beings, and we can all stop playing the "game" and start being "real". We can just let that "old creation" hang out all day.
That just won't fly on Judgment Day.
Somehow this all reminds me of Synanon...
posted by Marcian @ 12:09 PM
2 Comments:
I just found your blog and I love it. You tell the truth while making me laugh at the same time and I just love it. I agree with you wholeheartedly...I have been reading alot of books by emergents, since I speak out against the emergent church and one of the things they always say is "have you even read it???" Well, yes, I have read them and I am frankly sick of reading them and I have taken a much needed vacation. In reading these books and their blogs they are always "letting it all hang out". Pastors saying stuff like "I hate it when people quote the Bible. It literally makes me want to puke." (Bell in Velvet Elvis) And then he follows it with a "Can I say that?" Which is another phrase I get sick of. Of course they can say anything they want; but that doesn't mean it is edifying. These days edifying means we get to talk about sex, gas, bodily functions, and whatnot from our pulpits. Isn't it wonderful how REAL the pastors are being now instead of hiding behind all that sanctification???? And we even get to say four letter words, too. Ah...the liberty we have in Christ. Do we ever really realize that the liberty we have is paid in blood? And would we say the dumb things we do if we realized that? Anyway....thanks for letting me rant. Love your blog, girl! Keep it up.
Marcia, this is such a great article. You nailed it, girl!
"Pastors saying stuff like "I hate it when people quote the Bible. It literally makes me want to puke." (Bell in Velvet Elvis) And then he follows it with a "Can I say that?" Which is another phrase I get sick of."
Janie, are you serious?????? I've heard of this book, but I haven't read it.
I agree with you, as well, Janie.
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